Sobol has managed to anger a lot of people in the medical-marijuana industry with his hardball tactics, trash-talking, and litigious nature. From Will Humble to certain police officers and pot-industry peers, Sobol is considered a troublemaker.

But amid the confusion over a revolutionary state law, Sobol doesn't deserve to be thrown behind bars like a cartel kingpin.

Not when he and others in similar predicaments clearly have served patients, many of whom suffer from medical ailments they believe marijuana helps.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery hopes to begin arresting dispensary operators if he gets the okay from a judge.

Jamie Peachey

Medical-marijuana supplies

Allan Ulric Sobol has been making waves for years, though he never has been in the serious trouble he's in now.

He moved from New York to Scottsdale in 1997. He states in a 2010 court filing that he's "auto-didactic," a fancy word for self-taught, and that he's worked as a legal assistant for many lawyers for many years.

He was a real estate agent in New York, where in 1996 he got appointed to the New York State Alternative Dispute Resolution Program's board of directors. Sobol claims he had a high success rate as a court mediator, plus an unblemished record.

But in 1993, he was found to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in his real estate business "by preparing and offering for signature a lease agreement for real property," records show.

It's unclear whether he was disciplined for the offense, but he sued the New York State Association of Realtors for defamation after it publicized its conclusions about his case. A court threw out the case, and in 1997, an appeals court upheld the lower court's decision.

Records show that Sobol filed for bankruptcy just before moving to Arizona, where he earned money by helping people file their own bankruptcy documents.

He became registered with the Arizona Board of Legal Document Preparers in 2003, when the state began a program to oversee such activities. Two years later, the board voted to revoke Sobol's document-preparer's license, claiming that (as in New York) he had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.

The board had reviewed at least three complaints, including one alleging Sobol "offered himself as an attorney," gave incorrect legal advice, and made threats to take legal action against a woman. Sobol insists the latter claim was a fabrication. Regarding the other two, he claims in legal paperwork that the clients agreed to drop their complaints but that the board pressed the complaints anyway.

In October 2005, the board voted to revoke the certification of Sobol and his company (Quick and Legal Paralegal), slapped him with a $6,000 fine, and ordered him to pay about $20,000 in restitution to clients.

He later sued the board for defamation. Acting as his own lawyer, as he usually does, Sobol claimed in court filings that an unnamed board member confided in him that other board members believed he "had a lurid past with an association in the mafia. They alleged that the plaintiff was incompetent, dishonest, and unethical."

Sobol says these supposed claims by board members are false and outrageous. But he couldn't make headway with his lawsuit, and it was tossed out. He also filed a defamation suit against a client who made a complaint about him to the board; that suit failed as well.

Sobol appealed the dismissal of his lawsuit against the board. In court records he filed in May 2007, Sobol wrote that he was facing the "impending breakup of his 32-year marriage, coupled with having to simultaneously re-invent himself professionally after the loss of his ability to ply his trade as a document preparer."

The problems, Sobol wrote in an appeal motion, "consumed his emotional health" and nearly bankrupted him. (He and his wife later divorced.)

The board got a new complaint in 2009 that Sobol still was preparing documents, resulting in a cease-and-desist order in April 2010 by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Hugh Hegyi. The order reminded Sobol that he can't do legal paperwork for people, can't negotiate anyone's legal rights, and can't express legal opinions. The judge also dismissed another lawsuit Sobol filed against a board member.

Not long thereafter, Sobol filed a complaint against the Board of Legal Document Preparers with the U.S. Justice Department, alleging a criminal conspiracy to harass him.

Now, he feels he's the target of harassment again. But it's not just his livelihood that under threat — it's his freedom.

Sobol found success in the medical-marijuana field even before voters passed Proposition 203.

Early on, he was blasted by critics who see him as a profit-hungry showboater whose indiscretion gives the entire industry a bad name.

His main business has been consulting and education. He runs classes for people interested in operating a dispensary, growing marijuana, or otherwise stepping into the medical-pot business. In a poster he displayed for his students, he claimed that a single dispensary could expect as much as $19 million a year in gross sales — if it had about 800 patients each buying the statutory maximum of five ounces a month. The claim was unrealistic, in part because it required each patient to shell out $2,000 monthly. But Sobol's point was that the new industry would make some people very rich.

Sobol opened the mock dispensary in fall 2010 and invited the news media to photograph it. It was a good way to get free advertising for his businesses.

I think it's time to stop "apologizing" to justify medical marijuana consumption. People feel the need to submit a medical history - Obviously, this is because of the stigma that goes back to the 60's and hippy era. If you use marijuana you are lazy and unwashed! You do not need to have stage 4 cancer and a prosthetic hip implant from 1954 made from balsa wood to justify pot use to the “non believers” !!

My blog site recently conducted an investigation in Los Angeles and watched the FBI spend $4 grand in tax dollars (man hours, informant fees, gasoline, etc) to pursue a $25 dollar bag of weed. Yes, 3.5 grams of cannabis - in a state where it is a non-criminal infraction and fine of $100 bucks.

It's unfortunate that Allan Sobol is the face for the medical marijuana movement in Arizona. He's an obnoxious, greedy, profiteer who has shown us what's wrong with the emerging medical marijuana system. There's always got to be one in the crowd. Allan fights to get his name in the paper, or any type of PR (there's no such thing as bad PR?) to get his name associated with the new movement.

The law passed by 43 people in 2010. small or large, it passed, and with the voter initiative act of 2000 after Romley denied voters for years their medicine. What is the deal with this corrupt Arizona government? Their actually is a federal law that enables me as a federal disabled ADA patient to acquire my medicine without coercion by anyone other than a federal judge. Anyone else can be detained or arrested for not allowing me to acquire my federal allowed medicine with a card or Medical Examination Need Report.

Now as for this NON-profit church aka "medicine cooperative", what this founder is doing is not the most ethical, but it actually is the right way to run a NoN Profit cooperative by Rochester principles.. The problem the feds have is how the "profits" are distributed among the many local organizations and the release of medical marijuana to non medical card holders, which makes it a federal crime. What gets me mad is the "coercion" he is playing with a law that just got passed and his going after other clubs with the authorities. He is a greedy selfish man named "AS". Throw the book at him!!

I am also sick of Govenor Brewer. She is playing a pick and choose operation in this state! I believe the MMJ law had implemented a order of time that the law was suppose to be implemented and now it is 2 yrs. later and still not running. I also believe that the dispensaries are suppose to be open RIGHT NOW while the ploiticians TRY to dismember the law in court. I hear more lawsuits on individual person/s and state gov.concerning the new law. Is Brewer and gang--"KKK"?

why doesnt montgomery and horne mentioned anything about the Voter Protection Act of 2000.....ya, know, the act put in place by "the people" in 2000 in response to the az legislature "voting" to "get rid of" the mmj law passed by az voters in 1998...ya, know the one that states "all initiative passed by the people can only be overturned by a 75% vote of the legislature"...period...not "if i think it applies" not "if i like it or not" and not" fed law,world law,international law"..

remember you took an "Oath of "Office to uphold the ARIZONA constitution and ARIZONA laws, not the US Constitution and federal law....so even if you walk into STATE court, the judge is probally going to ask if you have the legislative votes, not DEA,FBI, fed law this or fed law that...remember under STATE law, prop.203(a voter passed initiative) falls directly under this law and the STATE judge does not care about fed law...that is for fed court not state court system. guys, if you want the initiative gone, just have our state reps vote it out, all you need is a 75% majority, now seee, isnt that easy?...go ahead, have them vote...go on...thats "the law" now isnt it?

"auto-didactic" means you are a smart ass who believes you don't need all that book-lerning to engage in a profession and you are smarter than the professionals themselves. Loots of idiots like that out there.

@tom10545az Meanwhile, up in Colorado voters prepare to vote on flat out legalization. A couple of other states, too, are doing similarly. How you going to deal with that, eh? Happy cerebral infarcts, Republican caucus! Enjoy being on the crappy end of the stick this time, prohibitionists. Might as well get used to it: your time has come and almost gone.

@tom10545az They could, maybe get the legislature to put a repeal vote on the ballot. That, however, might backfire in their arrogant faces. Man up, tea baggers! Put that BS on the ballot and see how far you get.

@thcmc420 Mike Smith, didn't you leave Arizona because the Arizona medical Board found your Dr grossly incompetent and removed his license to practice medicine in the state? And now you have the same Dr passing out med cards to anyone with $250 in Alaska (for a short time anyway, I have put the wheels in motion to have his right to practice medicine here in Alaska removed too.)

You are a blight on the medical marijuana movement and your only in it for the quick buck you see.

@SeedyWard Once again, bigotry rears its ugly head. Just like not all liberals are communist / socialist / tree huggers / pro-gay marriage (just look at CA, heavily liberal, yet pro-traditional marriage), not all Republicans / Conservatives want to see marijuana or any other drug criminalized. Many, and I mean many, vote for decriminalization and legalizing when given the choice.

@SeedyWard@tom10545az one more thing, monty and hony(i was going to say horney, but i didnt), in oct the circuit court for D.C.(that is a federal court, ya know) will start hearing on the DEA's having marijuana as a Schedule I drug..this is really going to be fun, with all the studies from "independent" scientist, dr's, etc. from around the world, not to mention sativex is available now or in a country near you soon..

.so its now gonna be....No Medical use in the USA..that outta go over good, or how about "becasue we said so, go to hell with evidence"...i know, you will use about 8-10,000 words to basically same the same thing....but really, you think a federal judge is gonna go along with that, is this country really that far gone?

better hurry up, things are really lookin' bad for y'all, even at the "Federal Law"(your term)...level

if your lookin' to enforce "federal law", why dont you go help the feds in oregon and colorado arrest everybody when it becomes legal in nov.

@SeedyWard Your nasty little Tea Party comment shows your utter ignorance, bigotry and hate. As a TP supporter I fully support complete legalization of pot, decriminalization of drug use, and a litany of other things you liberal bigots think "we" are "all" against. Feel free to keep being an idiot, but stop speaking at or for me or many of my friends, as you simply expose your dimwittery.

BILL FIKES You have been reported to Alaska state trooper Anderson incident. # ak-13076263

You have been notified to quite HARRASING us and our staff and our doctors. All postings are going directly to our attorney Lance Wells. We are filing a temporary restraining order Monday in anchorage. Due to your threats and being mentally deficient we will ask that your guns be removed from your possession. MARIJUANA IS NOT LEGAL IN ALASKA UNLESS YOU HAVE A STATE ISSUED MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD!

WR Hearst was a Dem. He is the one behind fed MJ prohibition. WR was a greedy liar, fear monger & anti MJ propagandist.

Did I mention Hearst was a DEMOCRAT??? :-)

"With the blessing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a DEMocrat, Anslinger lead the way into getting the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 passed by a DEMocratic Party majority Congress and signed into law." [Emphasis added. :-)]

Going by your logic, that would mean all Dems are prohibs. But we know better than that, correct?I have never lumped all D's together like you do TEA's & conservatives.

Since you seem to hate the TEA peeps, I guess you oppose the only major 'party' candidate who would would work to RE-legalize herb & hemp, call the feds off CA & pardon all nonviolent 'drug offenders' in the USA. ALL of them!! 0 keeps ALL of them locked up...who are the bad guys again? :-)

Ron Paul is the major 'party' candidate. Full disclosure: Ron is not for USING drugs. He thinks it's a bad idea. As best I can tell, in spite of his personal views, he IS for restoring civil liberties & the ownership of your body back to you. Drugs, prohibition ect for him are subtopics. The main topic is individual freedom & liberty in conjunction with personal responsibility, restoring state rights & the fed govt following the US Constitution.

So what's yer dude doing? By his inactivity to cease the raids, 0 is encouraging the fascist gestapo our militarized police on all levels have become & are becoming. Like I said above, 0 is doing nothing about the CA raids & illegal intervention of the feds into state affairs. Can you support 0 with your vote with out supporting his heavy handed allowance of fed raids on civil liberties in CA?

Just askin. I would think if you are for restoring individual freedom you would like Ron Paul a lot. Go figure...

@MrAmazing If it's impossible to know what tea baggers believe, then why do they advertise their bizarre agenda? Furthermore, why would anyone join up with them unless their agenda were easily understood? They don't seem to be the sharpest pencils in the pack.

As far as the disgusting sexual reference, they adopted it before we hanged it on them. The reference had to be explained to the old anachronisms after they were already using it. Only then did they back peddle and get all squeamish.

@Tomato Teabagger is a disgusting sexual reference, so by your own words you expose your bigotry - defined as "a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance".

Thought you might want clarification as you clearly do not know the definition of the word.

@SeedyWard And by definition you prove your bigotry. It is literally impossible to know what most Tea Party members are like or believe, and so your hate speech from the disgusting "tea bagger" to your piss comment continue to expose your rage and hate. Seems the libbies are coming unhinged all over. Sad really, I though y'all had more substance.

@MrAmazing You wouldn't even have the chance to vote on these issues if it weren't for rabble rousers like us. I'll admit bias against the tea baggers, though. Bigotry would be way too strong a word, as I view most tea baggers as ignorant simpletons. Libertarians OTOH, at least think about issues and I respect their point of view. Social conservatives can drink my piss.

The meet up groups that became the TEA Party, by a huge margin , support Ron Paul. Ron is an inspiration to us TEA peeps.

Dr. Paul also happens to be in favor of RE-legalizing smoked cannabis & industrial hemp. Ron would pardon all non-violent 'drug offenders' if elected. 0 would NEVER do that. 0 has allowed raids in CA after saying he would ease up.

You should be on 0 & his administration's case, more than the TEA peeps. Not all lib progs are for RE-legalization either.

I am TEA party, fiscal conservative, Christian & Ron Paul supporter. Like Dr. Paul, I advocate for the restoration of the Bill of Rights & that the fed govt should be put back under our Constitution's restrictions..Your boy 0 is just the opposite, so tell us again, who are the bad peeps?

I also advocate, as Dr. Paul, that the war on some drugs be ended. I advocate that all drugs should be re-legalized & run through state dispensaries, no feds at all. There should be councilors for the many street user addicts who want to be free to quit & free from prosecution.

Before any one is allowed to purchase, at lower than cartel prices, their stuff of choice, there should be Consequences Of Use education. Some street drugs are very dangerous, almost as dangerous as Rx concoctions.

Like Dr. Paul said at one of the debates, something along the lines of: "It's not about legalizing heroin! It's about restoring civil liberties!" in a reply to a Fox 'News' dude who was trying to bait & switch the topic.

You are tacitly saying that only TEA peeps & conservatives are for prohibition. Are all the voters in AZ TEA? No. So, going by the thin margin that passed the MMJ law, there are those from all sides that voted against the reform. You cheap shot was not very well thought out.

But that's usually the case for those who follow Rules For Radicals...

Now let us at least unite on the point at hand, please. Thanks.

Not an attack or smear, nor am I posting in anger. I only offer a big correction to your mis-conception.

@SeedyWard I have zero interest in discussing anything with you as your choice of words and attitude give 6 year olds a bad name. It seems nastiness and vitriol are liberal standard bearers and the vast majority of us are beyond sick of your hate and judgment. Making sweeping generalizations about people you do not know is the very definition of bigotry, which is just another kind of hate.

@MrAmazing Face facts: most of your tea bagging buddies are on the other side of the issue. Half of the rest are just waiting for their alleged superiors to tell them what to think. How much pro-cannabis agitation have you seen come from tea bag HQ?

Right. But the reason I asked Mike Smith instead of some other douchebag was because the real Mike Smith doesn't take direction from THE MAN and says fuck the law because patients need protection. Maybe I mistook you for someone else who used to certify patients without any medical records because its the right thing to do. @thcmc420